Consuming Soft Drinks May Cost More Than You Think

Would you sit down at a sugar bowl and take in 10 to 12 teaspoons of sugar at one time? Well, when you're drinking just one typical 12 ounce bottle or can of soda, that's exactly what you're doing. Imagine the amount of sugar consumed when you go through several cans or bottles each day. And the sugar content is just the beginning of concern.

While most folks know that soda is just plain junk food, some folks feel like they just can't do without soda or soft drinks. And while the overall long-term effects of soda consumption are debated, there still remains some hard and fast facts. There is a tremendous amount of sugar and other chemicals in soda that can put your health at risk. According to WorldDental.org, the average American drinks 600 cans, or about 56 gallons of soda each year. Maybe it's time to reconsider your consumption of soda.

Drinking a soda may be a bit riskier than most people would care to consider.

Let's just put all the research aside and look at some facts about soda. First, let's look at some of the chemicals and chemical compounds found in every soda. Ten teaspoons of sugar is what the U.S. RDA guidelines recommend for sugar consumption in just one day. Most folks have an average of two cans of soda per day, which puts the average person at twice the normal healthy intake of sugar. Sugar is the first chemical in soda and it is a leading cause of premature tooth decay, obesity, and diabetes among other things.

Phosphates are also found in soda. Phosphates tend to speed up the aging process, or at least the signs of aging in some folks. They also increase the onset and development of cardiovascular calcification and chronic kidney disease. High levels of phosphates in the bloodstream decrease the level of calcium in the body. Calcium is used to build stronger bones and teeth.

What Soda Does to the Human Body

When a person drinks a soda, those 10 to 12 teaspoons of sugar hit the bloodstream full force within the first 10 minutes. Within 20 minutes, the blood sugar level spikes causing insulin levels to rise sharply. The liver does all it can to turn any available sugar into fat. After 40 minutes, the caffeine is totally absorbed, blood pressure levels rise and the liver responds by dumping even more sugar into the bloodstream.

Within 45 minutes, dopamine levels rise in the pleasure centers of the brain. At one hour, the phosphoric acid chemically binds together the good calcium, magnesium, and zinc and as the caffeine's diuretic properties kick in, the body eliminates all of those minerals and nutrients instead of sending them to your bones. As all this is going on, just an hour after drinking a soda, the inevitable sugar crash begins and you become irritable and sluggish, with the caffeine crash to follow in the next few hours.

Diet Soda Drinkers Are Not Off the Hook, Either

Artificial sweeteners may reduce the total number of calories and eliminate the need for sugar in diet sodas and soft drinks, but there is still evidence that they can be harmful. Artificial sweeteners have been proven to cause cravings and some research has found a strong links to certain types of cancer.

The strength of phosphoric acid in soda is almost equal to the acid in a car battery and this acid is present in diet sodas as well as regular sodas. In her book, The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry Is Destroying Our Brains and Harming Our Children states, Carol Simontacchi states that "One liter of an aspartame-sweetened beverage can produce about fifty-six milligrams of methanol. When several of these beverages are consumed in a short period of time (one day, perhaps), as much as two hundred fifty milligrams of methanol are dumped into the bloodstream, or thirty-two times the EPA limit."

"Drinking any type of soda or soft drink poses risk to the health of your teeth," says Academy of General Dentistry spokesperson Kenton Ross, DMD, FAGD. Soda is addictive, leads to dehydration, it's loaded with calories, can cause calcium to be leeched from bones and teeth. The acid levels in all sugary sodas and diet sodas are exceptionally strong and therefore bad for your teeth. Sodas may be linked to the early onset of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or other cardiac conditions. The long-term effects of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and NutraSweet® are still not known. Perhaps it's time to reconsider the actual cost of drinking soda.

Sources:

LiveScience.com; Acids in popular sodas erode tooth enamel

EmpowHer.com; 7 Reasons to Elimiate Soda rom Your Diet

BlissTree.com;What happens to Your Body if You Drink a Coke Right Now?

WaterForLifeUSA.com; 8 Ways Soda Fizzles Your Health

NaturalNews.com: Phosphoris acid in sodas nearly as damaging to teeth as battery acid

WorldDental.org; Bad and Good Soft Drinks for Your Teeth Health